What is CFIMS?

A Comprehensive Fermentation Information Management System that encompasses all phases of a fermentation-based process; from feedstock delivery, through fermentation, to final product.

CFIMS runs on a secure offsite server that is accessible 24/7 from anywhere you are in the world. Only a very small software utility is installed at the plant for processing and uploading the automatically-collected data to the CFIMS server.

Who needs CFIMS™?

Fermentation-based manufacturing plants that gauge success on the basis of low-variability, high-yield results need CFIMS for gaining maximum visibility into the behavior of every variable that can affect the outcome of the product.

You need CFIMS if you can relate to any of the following scenarios:

Correlating and reconciling shift notes, recipes, lab data, and operations data as a unified source of actionable information is a pain point
You don’t have enough data or you are drowning in numbers and trying to make sense of it is time-consuming and a hindrance to productivity
Production yields and quality are pretty good but, with better insights into your process, you know some improvements can be made
You have variability in your process (e.g. this week is worse than last week), but not sure why
You have some thoughts on how to improve things, but don’t have the data you need to validate your hypothesis
You want to try a new ingredient (e.g. an experimental enzyme), but don’t know how you will effectively track the performance and side effects
Your operators are hard workers, but you would like additional methods to ensure they are staying actively engaged in monitoring the state of operations
Your staff is recording lots of data, but the number of input errors diminishes its value
You’ve been adding data to your spreadsheets for years and its really starting to bog down
You would like the ability to actively monitor or troubleshoot problems even when offsite
You realize the value of using external data scientists to analyze your data (i.e. 6 Sigma consultants, vendors, etc), but attempting to do so with outdated spreadsheet technology is extremely cumbersome, if not impossible
You’re tired of hunting down information and would rather it just automatically come to you or your partners in the form of emailed reports or alerts

How does CFIMS help with all this?

CFIMS provides new insights into your process to help you eliminate defects and maintain predictable results.
How?

Automated collection of lab and DCS data to augment and validate manual input ensures that you get higher quality and higher frequency data with fewer errors, while still promoting operator engagement with the SCADA screens.
Automatically correlates your ferm batch data with data from the relevant time frames of your upstream inputs (i.e. liquefaction, slurry, backset, etc).
Promotes active engagement of your operators in monitoring the health of your operations through active feedback during data entry and facilitating accountability through quality checks.
The ease of use and ease of availability to all authorized users ensures that you will have more eyes on the data and more brains processing the information. This significantly increases the chances of problematic issues being caught earlier.
As ethanol concentration tells only part of the story, CFIMS can calculate your true yields by taking all relevant inputs into account.
CFIMS was designed with data science in mind. Coupling this with a 6 Sigma analysis of your plant, can translate into millions of dollars of savings annually.

But I don’t want to change…

The purpose of CFIMS is not to change how you do things, but to make substantial improvements to the results, and in a more efficient manner.
The act of entering data is very similar, if not easier, than how it is traditionally done in spreadsheets… albeit with several added benefits.
Spreadsheets don’t have to go away. CFIMS provides multiple options for analyzing your data in online spreadsheets or traditional MS Excel.

Is it easy to use?

Yes.

Very little training is needed to start utilizing and benefiting from CFIMS. Out of the box, CFIMS provides advanced correlations and visualizations that would otherwise require multiple specialized software packages and extensive training to attain. For more advanced uses, additional training is available with the CFIMS implementation at no additional charge.

How is it licensed?

CFIMS is licensed as a monthly or annual subscription on a per-plant basis. This includes unlimited usage, remote support, and upgrades. There are no per-user fees and no strategic up-selling of additional modules, etc. What you see is what you get, it’s that simple.

Possible additional expenses: